Network operators such as cable television operators use various information distribution systems to deliver television, video on demand (VOD) and other video related services to subscribers via set-top terminals (STTs) or set-top boxes (STBs). For STBs having differing levels of capability (e.g., a heterogeneous system), possibly from different manufacturers, user interface (UI) look and feel, functionality and the like provided via one model (e.g., a high capability STB) may be different than that provided by another model (e.g., a low capability STB). As such, there may be poor consistency of user experience across the operator's subscriber footprint.
Network operators may achieve a consistent user interface by deploying additional applications or widgets with UI functionality using application environments such as OCAP (OpenCable Application Platform), Tru2way interactive digital cable services, EBIF (Enhanced TV Binary Interchange Format), ACAP (Advanced Common Application Platform), MHP (Multimedia Home Platform) and the like. Full program guides have been implemented that are Java-based and remain as large downloaded and installed files at the STB (which necessarily requires significant STB memory and processing resources).
Disadvantageously, these UIs are implemented as add-on features rather than viable avenues to fully replicate a TV guide, video on demand navigation system, DVR management screen and the like. Further, it is likely that older STBs will not be able to support such a deployment.
Network operators may achieve a consistent user interface by encoding still or moving UI imagery within an MPEG video stream, where key presses are relayed to a server for processing, and changes in the UI are rendered through changes in the imagery provide via the MPEG stream. These systems depend on a UI client application resident at the STB which relays the key strokes to the server and is responsible for communicating with an underlying (traditional) program guide in order to provide channel tune commands, DVR related commands, video on demand requests and the like.
Disadvantageously, this type of solution still requires a traditional guide and, in fact, is dependent on that guide for some of the basic TV functions such that the limitations of existing guides are not circumvented (e.g., if the existing guide does not expose APIs for listing DVR assets, then the UI client application will not have access to them). Some traditional guide screens will need to be forced to display where the traditional guide requires control (e.g., parental controls entry, video on demand purchase confirmations and the like). Further, for STBs without broadband connections (e.g., embedded cable modems), the upstream traffic generated by the UI client application sending key presses to the server creates significant network contention on the cable plant. It is also noted that the unicast nature of this type of UI implementation does not scale well.